One thing that saddens me when I do my nightly readings of BMW i3 press materials is just how amazing the car was, and yet just how few people bought it. It’s depressing thinking about this masterpiece that designers and engineers dreamed up and executed, and to imagine all of them looking at the sales figures thinking they failed. Then I imagine the BMW i-team disbanding, and the company basically abandoning the concept. It ain’t right! But this is just one of many such stories.
Today on Autopian Asks, we want to hear from you about a car that you think struggled with sales, only to later be rediscovered by the masses as a legitimately cool car. The Pontiac Aztek I think falls into the camp; for far too many years it was derided as the “ugliest car of all time,” and yet nowadays people dig it. It’s a legitimately useful, comfortable, and soulful machine.
This question is a little different than the classic “tell us about some underrated cars,” because the cars I’m asking about are no longer underrated. People have come around to their glory for whatever reason. Maybe it’s simply that the cars are now much cheaper than they were new, and at the cheaper price, they just make for way more compelling motoring than they did when new. I think that’s true for the i3 and for our Nissan Murano Crosscabriolet:
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But there are plenty of reasons why a car might pull a Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” and reach its prime many years after its debut. Which ones come to your mind?
Just go find V10omous and look at the profile picture. That’s the answer.
It is somehow absurd to me that no one ever talks about the Canadian rapper Chuggo and his music video for the song “Ah C’mon” that had a convertible Nissan Murano that was terribly CGI’d. This song came out in 2005, well before the Cross Cabriolet, and while the Murano from the video was a 4 door, not 2 door, it did a pretty good job at predicting the insanity that was the Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet. C’mon (pun intended) Autopian, do an article on Chuggo and his ability to predict the future of ridiculous convertibles!!!
Learn from my mistakes, do not watch this music video.
Ah c’mon!
Pontiac Fiero.
The absolutely glorious insanity of GM of all companies deciding to produce a mid engined two seater (and pitch it as an everyday car) can’t be overstated.
Absolutely! My car detailer has a beautiful 85 Fiero GT with the V6. Says it’s a great car and it’s been easy to keep on the road.
Doug Demuro has a great quirks n features walkthrough where among other things, he gleefully points out every instance of the Firebird-adjacent Fiero logo in the interior. There’s a bunch.
It was unfortunate that it came out about the same time as the original MR2, to which it was immediately compared. And found lacking. Neither one was a practical choice for me.
I would have loved to be an automotive journalist but having subscribed in the peak days of the magazines and reading stuff so much more exquisite and creative than I could have ever come up with, I’m happy to have been able to read their work.
And I would have probably been the slowest driver of any their staffs. I’d be the logical but slowest James May-ish guy. Cool guy. Didn’t deserve to be the butt of all those jokes. But show-biz… I get it. But being bullied is corrosive. So don’t do that.
it’s good that I did what I was good at. And other than letting my wife talk me into a ’94 Jeep GC, I did alright.
Isuzu VehiCROSS.
I remember exactly where I was the first time I saw one as a kid. It was just absolutely striking, and I recall people saying it was ugly when it was new. One came to my local (large and full of unique and exotic cars) Cars & Coffee last summer, and drew a crowd so big, you’d think it was a R34 GT-R.
91-96 Buick Roadmasters. Especially the wagons.The supercharged 3.6 Buick models.Subaru XT and SVXToyota Corolla All-Trac and/or Honda AWD Civic Wagon, and/or Nissan Stanza Wagon, and/or Mazda 5.Toyota T100Mitsubishi Starion/Chrysler ConquestMitsubishi Galant VR-4Ford Mustang SVOFord Thunderbird Turbo CoupeDodge Colt Turbo Twin-Stick (too much?)
Models most definitely not included because irony doesn’t count in a redemption arc.
Nissan Murano CrosscabrioletPontiac Aztek
I don’t think the original Lexus LS was fully appreciated during its production run – at least not to the almost cult car levels it’s attained by now
The Peterbilt 372 cabover. 10 mpg in the late 80’s, a feat that wouldn’t be matched until the 2010’s. Was to ugly for most people, but now considered the right direction at the wrong time.
I see a Frieghtliner Argosy (maybe two) on the roads delivering for City Market (Kroger for Western/Mountain Colorado).
I think it is still on the road because it tackles some of the tight mountain curves better than modern tractors.
If Honda released the CR-Z today I think it’d be a hit. I don’t remember it being something super loved when it was out because of the hybrid system but it was ahead of it’s time I’d say.
If it wasn’t loved, why were there so many of them? In my memory, they were every tenth car on the road.
I find that hard to believe when they only sold 35K of them total in the US.
Wow, maybe they were extra-popular in my town, but that’s a pretty low number. I guess I just liked them.
I think people were underwhelmed by the fuel economy, it didn’t seem impressive enough in relation to the complexity of the technology, and also they deleted the rear seats for the US for some reason, which was always going to put a damper on any sort of mainstream appeal
Plus the price, some $20k to start at the time, for a 2-seater with just okay fuel economy. That was at least a couple grand more than a Civic started at when I think a CRX started less than a Civic in its day.
The CR-Z was a failure for a simple reason and should stay a failure.
The CRZ was supposed to be an updated version of the CRX. It was a Hybrid that got about 10 mpg worse than the CRX that wasn’t a hybrid.
Also, it didn’t have enough doors. The only version that should be appreciated is the manual shifter one.
The only reason the CR-Z might sell better than ti did when it came out was because Honda no longer sells the cheaper, faster, lighter and similarly fuel efficient Honda Fit in the US like they did in 2010.
It was such a miss by Honda. They made it looks like a hot hatch, and then gave it about the same power as a stock (Non-ST) Ford Fiesta, with somehow, a worse MPG. (My 2012 Fiesta SES gets about 37 MPG combined. The CRZ was rated 31/37 MPG)
So not sure how they managed to make a 1.5L Hybrid that wasn’t as efficient as a as older 1.6L N/A basic ICE.
I have a theory that the most loved a Toyota truck product will ever be is right around the time its replaced.
Example. 2nd gen Tundra is enjoying a resurgence of popularity right now. same with 1st gen after the 2nd gen had been out a while. And every Land Cruiser was the “last real land cruiser”. I hesitate to chock that up to timelessness more of being appreciated for virtues that only time can reveal.
This is true. Toyota truck people just read the internet looking for problems with the new version of the Toyota they have so they can feel better about having the older version.
I work with two of these people.
One is getting rid of his last generation 4 Runner and replacing it with an Ineos Grenadier because of the drivetrain in the current 4 runner / land cruiser. The other just traded in his Tundra on a ’22 4 Runner for the same reason.
At least one of them is openly bitter (daily) that there were tax rebates for my Ioniq 5. It’s an odd thing to be so nostalgic for the cars of five years ago.
Mustang SVO
Merkur XR4Ti
Not sure the Merkur is really loved yet, but there are definitely fans. The SVO, however, is generally better regarded now than when new.
I’ll take the SVO that Andy Cohen built with a modern Ecoboost turbo-4.
No, not that Andy Cohen. The one in Maryland.
I have a perverse desire to swap an ecoboost-4 into a Pintostang.
I talked to the owner of an Ecoboost swapped SVO. A lot more work involved than I would have thought.
Yeah Andy Cohen (not that one) had a lot of trouble sourcing, and getting to work, the custom wiring harness.
I was most shocked that they had to massage the firewall.
Do it. I haven’t even seen a pintostang in years, but I would be very tempted to take one as a project.
Did Nathan Lane help? lol. /s
I don’t want to entirely be a stick in the mud and rain on the cross-cabriolet parade, but I really don’t the the CC deserves much love in general. Parts for the top are widely NLA, and known to fail frequently, so it’s an objectively bad convertible to be used as a convertible. It’s not good as a family vehicle due to minimal trunk space, has that awful CVT, it’s not remotely sporty with the torsional rigidity of a wet noodle and crossover ride height, and any luxurious features it has were also available on a fully loaded standard Murano. Sure these may be cheap, but I wholeheartedly believe an Eos, Sebring, or even a CLK are better 4-seat convertibles from this era and at this price.
I don’t think it deserves any of the asterisks you’ve put on it. It’s just a bad car made worse with the removal of its roof.
YOU TAKE IT BACK!
….do you realize what blog you’re on?
Someone bring me smelling salts, stat!
FJ Cruiser?
If I remember it was well regarded by the press, and did sell well for a year or two… but it didn’t seem like they were popular until they weren’t made anymore and then started to sell for MSRP or more while used.
I wanted to want one until I sat in it and I felt like I was sitting in a ww2 pillbox half underground.
I agree with this statement, they are obscenely dark in them. It has to be the HUGE B or C pillar with the rear wheel hump (however you count it).
Such a great answer!
I want an FJ bad! The unicorn year for me is a 2010, as it was the last year of Sun Fusion (yellow), the first year of the dual VVTI motor (more power, regular gas). I’ll take mine with a 6 speed manual and white steelies!
DMC DeLorean.
I like that you specified “DMC.”
‘Tis the official name. Thank John DeLorean for the redundancy.
Only loved due to Back to the Future. I’ve driven one, absolute trash.
That’s likely true for many of the cars people will list, as few truly good cars go unloved in their time. In fact, I’d go so far as to say most truly cool cars are deeply flawed in at least one significant way.
I always imagined that when we *didn’t* see Thomas Magnum, he was mostly sitting around the guest house trying to convince Rick or TC to pick him up b/c they drove reasonably reliable, easy to fix cars.
The Ford (Fuckin’) Ranger was always cool, but there is something to be said for the transition from normal cool to what it is now (not the new ones, but the 90s Rangers). It went from such a common (and usually cheap) pickup to something that gets snapped up right away when it’s listed for sale.
I kind of regret not picking one up cheap when I still could.
cash for clunkers killed a lot of cars of that vintage
That gen Ranger with the great 2 tone color schemes is just glorious.
Yes, I love the 2 tones and the Splash. That goofy stepside was fantastic in bright colors.
Still plenty of them in Southern California. I just opened FB Marketplace in San Diego and stopped counting at 30 old Rangers for sale within 50 miles of me.
But are they cheap? They aren’t cheap here unless they have been driven a lot of hard miles. They used to be dirt cheap in good shape. Admittedly, the value has diminished a bit with the advent of the Maverick. Before it dropped, they were going pretty high.
(It’s also possible I’m an old man who no longer has a good sense of what things should cost, but I was able to get a Silverado cheaper than a Ranger the last time I was looking, and it was in better shape than the Rangers I found, too.)
If they are cheap down there, I may have to look at flying down and driving one back sometime.
I too an am old man whose sense of a product’s value is stuck squarely in 2003, so I’m probably not the right person to ask, but several of them are < $4000 which I consider relatively cheap nowadays.
That is reasonable these days. A lot better than I find here in Idaho. Good to know, thank you!
Great answer. We didn’t know what we had until it was gone.
Its actively happening right now with the 6th gen Camaro
Do tell.
https://www.theautopian.com/this-chevy-camaro-trim-may-be-one-of-the-most-underrated-and-forgotten-sports-cars-of-all-time/
https://www.theautopian.com/the-brilliant-sixth-generation-chevrolet-camaro-deserves-a-better-send-off-than-this/
https://www.theautopian.com/chevrolet-camaro-production-to-end-in-january/
I edited those!
Are we seeing a massive demand/value increase?
Well, they’re not dropping in value quite like I hoped they would. I bought a 2018 SS 1LE new, drove it for a few years and with Covid pricing being what it was in 2021, sold it for just over what I paid when new. Plan was to get back into one when they were selling for $20k in a few years.
Just checked autotrader, $26-30k will get you one with 100k+ miles. There’s a 2017 w/ 20k miles going for $35k but that seems fishy. A 2022 w/ 11k miles and a branded title for $37k..
It looks like they’re sticking around $40k+ for a decent looking example. I paid $41.5k in 2018 for mine… which I guess is now the equivalent of $53k in the current timeline so maybe they’re a good deal?
Anyways, they’re a fantastic car and if you ever get a chance to drive one I highly suggest you take it.
Yeah, the 1LE’s are holding value remarkably well, mine might have actually gained value
The Honda Fit. Yes, the auto journalists gave them high marks, but they didn’t sell incredibly well in the US. I think that’s a shame. It was more usable than a Civic, or HR-V, got sublime fuel economy, and handled like a go kart.
My Brother bought one during the whole cash for clunkers mishap, traded in a beat down explorer for it. Drove it from 2009 to 2023 and 300k miles. It was even fun with the auto with the “paddle shifters”.
My immediate family has had 4 Fits and I’m convinced they’re the most space-efficient cars on the planet (interior capacity vs. exterior size). As a comparison, they have literally more than double the cargo volume of the Ford Fiesta.
Since Honda never imported the 4th generation Fit, we never got the hybrid version that might have been an ideal city car for those who couldn’t afford and/or charge a BEV.
As much as I am gutted that there are no more Fits, I would be more gutted if we had gotten the 4th gen that is CVT only. A manual Fit is a joy.
We’ve had both kinds, and I agree the manual is more involving. All current hybrid Hondas (at least in the US) are normally direct-drive electric cars up to highway speeds when a lockup clutch gets the engine involved in propelling the car directly – there isn’t a CVT at all.
Subaru Baja. I remember people making fun of them at the time, but now they are very desirable.
This is a top level answer.
eh, thats because many of them didn’t age well, so you have survivor bias with the ones that were garage queens
Suzuki Samurai.
A lot of people cast them aside and disparaged them while they were around. Yes, some enthusiasts saw them as the value they were, that despite some compromises, did their job, and did it extraordinarily well for the money.
I had friends snap them up back in the late 90s. Most ultimately moved on to Wranglers, but after having a Samurai they all lauded its value for money.
Jimnys are the same thing. They’re not for everyone. The broad market buying a Wrangler or Bronco as an “avatar” doesn’t really want one. Yet the folks who understand what they’re getting, they’re mad they don’t have the option.
Alot of people bought them rough 20 years ago ragged them out beyond belief and still sell them for decent money now. They were the side by side before there was such a thing. Alot of utility guys in West Virginia have used them from day 1 because they are the only street legal thing that can get them where they need to go when they are on call.
That’s because they were death traps if you took a corner going faster than 10 mph
Especially the hard tops.
As a former owner of an 88 Tintop, yes and no. They were incredibly fragile machines; I spent more on towing than gas in the two and a half years I owned it. The last straw for me was the shifter disconnecting from the transmission while I was dirving it, leaving me stuck in third gear.
Other issues:
I could NOT keep an exhaust on the thing, the engine danced so much it would snap after a few hundred miles, YES I replaced both the engine and transmission mounts, two differnt shops just shrugged at me.
The Front U-Joint exploded at 45 miles an hour, gashing a giant hole in the transmission tunnel and taking the tail end of the transmission with it
Nothing was weathertight, the window felt failed on both doors at 6 years old, so I had to sweep snow off of the seats, plus snow would blast into the cabin while driving.
Wiper Blades were impossible to find, they were smaller than Wrangler blades.
Every 15K miles the Check Engine light came on (this was intentional, maybe it was “Servce Engine” and I had to pay a shop $20 to turn it off…
All the 70s and 80s mini trucks. Both Japanese and captive imports. The little japanese 4x4s like the samurai / tracker and the rocky. Basically any 90s Japanese cars. The gen 1 rams I think the gen 2 rams are starting to become a thing. And 2 door pickups in general
The question needs to be clarified.
I don’t think normies have come around on either the i3 or the Aztec, both might be “cool” in an ironic way for people online, but if I asked someone on the street for their impressions of either, it would probably be a blank stare or a neutral reaction at best.
I think the same is true for many answers I’ve seen here so far.
I think something that sold poorly when new and sells for over its MSRP now is the right answer. Stuff like the 05-06 Ford GT, diesel Excursions, and yes, the Gen V Viper.
Over MSRP is a great way to frame it, especially after factoring in inflation. But that would turn this Autopian Asks into a simple formula and they’ve already got Gavel Gazing and Shitbox Showdown…
I mean there’s many ways to frame “getting love”, but it’s one thing to be respected in comment sections and another to have people paying real money to own one.
Well the Aztek getting a neutral reaction today after being dunked on for years as being the ugliest modern vehicle does kinda validate his point. I really think it was just before its time.
The Isuzu Impulse and Geo Storm…. Loved those cars. They handled well and were fun to drive. But any Geo was ignored.
Plymouth Superbird
Saturn/Pontiac Sky/Solstice
Celica All-Trac
Mitsubishi 3000GT
Definitely Celica All-Trac!
Why, the Ferrari Mondial, of course. Still not quite caught up with its siblings (3X8), but beginning to in terms of appreciation and as a point of access…it’s still a Ferrari, after all, even if it wasn’t in a “cool” private investigator TV show.
…Although reading and thinking more on this page, I suppose the truer answer is the 2X6 Dino. Half-million-dollar auction results for the “poor-man’s Ferrari.” Some vindication!
Long ago, I had the chance to buy a mint condition Dino for about half the MSRP.
At the time, I wasn’t even excited about possibly buying it.
I didn’t have quite enough of a down payment to get financing, and I obviously didn’t expect a used car to appreciate from under $8k to almost half million.
To me, they’re easily in the top ten, probably even top five, of most desirable Ferraris.
Ah, hindsight. I’ve never seen one in person and I’m confident I’ll never get a chance to drive one, but holy cow are they pretty. And yet somehow Porsches and Lamborghinis trade hands for 2 or even 3x the cash.
I drove a Mondial T convertible once. So much fun! I thought from the hate it would be terrible, but I would totally buy one if I had room in the garage.
Ts–the final Mondial–are said to be the sibling of the 348, another relatively unpopular model that’s gaining respect despite the lackluster reception upon release. I hope you find room someday (without having to sacrifice another of your babies)!
Every good GM product
Note: This presupposes there ever were any good GM products. YMMV.
Just sayin’.
ಠ_ಠ
There were plenty of great GM products. They just all happened to have the same engine.
Church of 3800
Olds 307. Not eligible for this question, because they were everywhere.
That 307 was a malaise-beater. Old-school torque, way down low.
all 0 of them
I think it’s more than at new prices they weren’t worth it, but they make great used cars.
Jeep Scrambler CJ-8 sold badly now they are collectable and pricy.
Good one!
Remember the aftermarket full length hardtops?
Oh yeah, and the Alaskan postal vehicles!
No one valued the Comanche either. Loved those trucks but they al seem to be gone now.
I thought about the Jeep Honcho pickups from the 1970s, but it appears that was a graphics package added to the J10.